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Akawaio Indian Language (Akawayo, Kapong, Kapon)

Language: Akawaio is a Cariban language of South America, closely related to Macushi. It is spoken by 5000 people in Guyana, Brazil and Venezuela. Akawaio is an agglutinative language with complex verb morphology. Word order is primarily SOV.

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Names: In their own language, the Akawaio people call themselves Kapon, which means "people of the sky." Variants of the same name are used by several different Carib tribes in this region, so the people also use the Spanish name Akawaio (a corruption of a native name for a ritual herb) to refer to their group specifically. Another commonly used name for the Akawaios is Ingariko, which means "mountain people" in the neighboring Pemon language and is used by them as a collective name for all the Kapon tribes. Waicá, an indigenous word meaning "warrior" or "enemy," is another term that has been used to refer to a number of different tribes but particularly the Akawaios of Venezuela. Additional spellings of these names include Kapong, Kapón, Akawayo, Acawaio, Acahuayo, Acawayo, Akawai, Acawai, Accaway, Acawoio, Accawai, Akaway, Acaguayo, Acewaio, Guacavayo, Okawalho, Wakawaio, Akawoi, Accoway, Acquai, Acawey, Acuwey, Akawasche, Ingarikó, Ingarico, Engarico, Waica, Waika, and Guaica.



Akawaio Language
Akawaio language samples and resources.

Akawaio Culture and History
Information and links about the Akawaio tribe past and present.

Akawaio Legends
Introduction to the mythology of the Akawaio Indians.



Akawaio Language Resources

Our Online Akawaio Materials

Akawaio Vocabulary:
    Our list of vocabulary words in the Akawaio language, with comparison to words in other Cariban languages.
Akawaio Pronunciation Guide:
    How to pronounce Akawaio words.
Akawaio Animal Words:
    Illustrated glossary of animal words in the Akawaio language.
Akawaio Body Parts:
    Online and printable worksheets showing parts of the body in the Akawaio language.
Akawaio Colors:
    Worksheet showing color words in Akawaio.
Akawaio Numbers:
    Worksheet showing how to count in the Akawaio language.
Akawaio Food:
    Worksheet with pictures of food words in the Akawaio language.

Books for sale on the Akawaios
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Languages of the Amazon:
    Linguistic information about Aikana and dozens of other Amazonian languages.

Akawaio Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Indian Peoples of Venezuela:
    Map showing where in South America the Kapon language is spoken.
Akawaio (Ka'pon):
    Profile of the Akawaio language including a phonological inventory, orthography and a text.
Kapong:
    Information in Spanish and English on the Akawayo, Ingarikó, and Patamona languages.
Akawaio Language:
    Scanned-in Akawaio language materials from the Rosetta Project.
Ingariko/Akawaio Phonology:
    Linguistic chart of phonemes in the Akawaio language.
House of Languages: Akawaio
     Information about Akawaio language usage.
Akawaio Old Testament * Akawaio New Testament * Akawoia Words of Life:
    Bible passages translated into Akawaio.
Akawaio Language Tree:
    Theories about Akawaio's real language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Akawaio Language Structures:
    Akawaio linguistic profile and academic bibliography.
Akawaio Papers:
    Archive of linguistics papers on Akawaio, in English and Spanish.

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Links, References, and Additional Information

  Wikipedia: Akawaio:
  Encyclopedia articles on the Akawaio language.
  OLAC: Akawaio:
  Reference list of Akawaio language materials.
  Lengua Akawaio * Idioma Akawayo:
  Information about the Akawaio language in Spanish.
  Akawaio:
  Akawaio language links.



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